Notes of nostalgia: Old photos of Hanoi go on exhibition

"Hanoi 1967 - 1975", organized from October 2 to November 15, depict the joyful moment of birthing a child in wartime, captured American pilots, crowds bicycling in the rain, outdoor drawing classes with barefoot pupils, and the innocent faces of children.

An old house in Hanoi in 1975. Photo courtesy of the"Hanoi 1967 - 1975" exhibition.

These visual notes create a symphony about life steeped in the hardship of war but brimming with care and love. Billhardt took the black and white and color photos during his six trips to Vietnam in the period.

"Billhardt’s photos held up a mirror to the world while at the same time strengthening hope. They tell of the world’s social inequalities, of poverty, of suffering, of war, but also of the life and laughter of the people who live in it," said Wilfried Eckstein, director of Goethe Institute in Hanoi, which has coordinated with photographic journal Camera Work, Nha Nam Publishers, and Manzi Art Space to organize the exhibition.

The exhibition opens from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, except for Monday, at 2 Hang Bun Street and 14 Phan Huy Ich Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.

Entry is free.